it’s started
So, if you follow us on twitter or fb you would’ve noticed that last night we raved on about how Triple J were playing the new Cut Copy single this morning (it was at 7:30…) I actually slept right through my alarm and was nearly late for work and completely Cutters on the J’s.
BUT.
I got an email this morning…and I think other Cutters fans out there may have received the same one. The boys are giving away their new track Where I’m Going away for free! All you gotta do is jump along to their website, click on Download A New Cut Copy Song, put in your email address and voila, a download gets sent to you. SIMPLE!
Anyway, onto the track. There’s already been a bit of stuff written up in blog land, and people are saying it’s good, but it’s definitely different. I actually don’t think it’s that different. I agree, you can’t call the new track dance music, but it still has the Cutters sound, especially Dan’s very distinctive vocals. Love that man’s voice.
And the little “yeah’s” in the chorus are something I didn’t expect. Good touch though. Will be interesting to see what the album comes up with. Looking forward to it like there’s no tomorrow.
You can stream the track below and don’t forget to jump along to their site for your download.
calming influence
City Calm Down. I think us Melbourne (and some Sydney) kids are some of the best in good electro. Cut Copy, Midnight Juggernauts, Trust Us (definitely check these kids out).
And i think you can add City Calm Down to that list. They remind me of Cutters a hell of a lot, especially their track Lost. Trapped. They have the whole disco sound down pat and can write some killer, freakin catchy melodies. Perhaps a little bit darker than Cutters…could be the perfect mix of maamf faves Cutters and Juggers. Oh. YES!
Anyway, enough of the gushing. The guys have an EP coming out soon, but just below, you can check out two of my faves from the EP Lost. Trapped, and Collect Your Thoughts.
City Calm Down – Lost. Trapped
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new music first #14
A bit of a theme for today’s NMF post. Old school punky rock ‘n’ roll. Like? I do. Well written songs. All done with this kinda aggression and edginess that’s a little unrelenting. The only way.
First up we got a band called The Dig. These guys are a four-piece out of New York. They kind of have a Strokes feel about them which, is never a bad thing. Maybe it’s the whole New York thing. The guys are right in the middle of a tour with Editors and The Antlers, so for a new band, they’re doing pretty good. Good song too.
…
The Doggs are a three-piece out of Milano, Italia. Yeah, that’s right. Italy. These guys seem to have that 70’s garage punk kinda feel, and yeah, I’m guessing for the Italian music scene, they’re perhaps one of the very few who are pushing this kind of sound. The track Animal is off their self-titled EP which you can check out on iTunes
…
The Art. Well you’d think these guys are artists, as in painters. But I mean, hey, they probably chose the name because The Music was already taken. But you check out who these guys have supported…and wait for it…try Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Sonic Youth, and The Pixies next month. These guys go pretty intense. You know, hard. Screaming style vocals. Big distortion. And what’s better is that they’re local. Newtown boys and girls.
…
The Twerps. Great band name. The guys are from Melbourne, and according to Triple J are becoming one of Melbourne’s favourite lo-fi pop bands. The track is actually pretty funny. Has a real old school surfer vibe which i’m liking a fair bit, probably due to the way it was recorded. Mikey Young from fellow Melbourne rockers Eddy Current Suppression Ring helped record their EP onto analogue tape. Great song. Kinda funny. Has that chilled vibe. Niiccccccceeeeee!
sexy time
ok. I think one of my New Year Resolutions will be to find another record label other than Modular and Bang Gang 12″s that I think are the beezneezzz. So, without further ado, I promise you my last ever Mod/Bang specific post! (NB. Promises are made to be broken right? oh wait…that’s rules. anyway…i’m not good at keeping promises…wow…not really painting a very good picture of myself am i??!!)
Let’s get on with it. Two bands/acts have been put on high rotation of late. And they’re both Aussie. The Swiss and Cassian.
First off, The Swiss. What’s perhaps the best thing about these dudes is that they don’t hail from your typical electro scene of Melbourne or Sydney. The Swiss are from Adelaide, proving it doesn’t matter where you came from, it’s how you do it that counts. Ohh…how sweet. I posted their track Movement 1 a while ago, and they do some bloody great disco. As I said in my earlier post, these dudes are a definite indication that disco may well be sticking around for a while yet. This is a newy from the recently signed Modular boys. It’s called Bubble Bath. It’s due out on Jan 29th, and the EP is going to feature some remixes from Tensnake and Knightlife. BAM!
Second for the day is a dude out of Melbourne/Sydney. He’s called Cassian. He is pretty bloody good also. He kinda has that disco feel too, like the Swiss, but far more electro. The fella is signed to Bang Gang 12″s and has already featured pretty heavily on their compilations. I definitely recommend checking out the Bang Gang 12″s MySpace for some of the acts on their list. I’m not sure if a better crew of electro goodness could ever be assembled. Anyway, this is a new one from Cassian. It’s called The Fuck Song. And it features on his new release, the Friday Night EP.
K. That’ll do the ramble for now
new music first #13
Thought I should get some new music out of the way before the new year hits us (granted, I do have close to a week before that happens, but I wanted to get my best tracks and remixes lists out before the end of the decade).
Anyway, tracks. There’s a whole big mixture of stuff here. Just what this blog is all about i suppose…bit of everything.
First up is a bit of electronica kinda stuff. Paqman are from Melbourne/Canberra (strange mix I know.). Their track Donno is a really nice kinda chilled track that glides. umm…did i just write glides? wow. Anyway, it is a really nice track. As I look out my window now, it’s kinda warm and sunny and this track accompanies that pretty freakin well.
Second up are a duo out of Berlin. I’m Not A Band sound kinda like a band…sorry to break that to you. Their name sounds like they belong on Kitsune. As so does their music. I love Kitsune and their Kitsune Maison compilations are always a good indication of what’s big out there. I reckon these guys might just be big.
Third, a bit of a change of pace. Camp Out are out of California. They’re two ladies who produce really well written indie pop. Really good songs. They’re looking to release their album early in the new year, and from what I’ve heard of it, it seems really good. It sound like the sort of pop tunes that Triple J actually would play. There are obvious comparisons to Tegan and Sara for sure, but give these guys a go. Really nice stuff.
Fourth, and finally, it’s Memory Tapes, or Dayve Hawk to his folks. There’s this sub-genre that seems to be forming that’s being dubbed ‘chill-wave’. Now, since I’m a music blogger, you’d think I would be on top of it…and I know, it’s been around for a while now (well…a few months at least). People like Neon Indian, and The Babe In The Woods are sort of pushing this sound. Anway, Zan Rowe did a feature on Chill-Wave in the latest J Mag, so it must be big now. I dunno. I think I like it. As Zan says though, “Hawk is the most hi-fi (out of the ‘movement’) – but even that is a stretch.”
K. That’ll do the ramble for now
fake silver
Faux Pas is a Melbourne fella who produces some pretty dreamy electro pop. His track, Silver Line, just sits and washes over you. Atmospheric, dreamy, chair-dance inducing, a little head nodding. You listen to it the first time and you think ah yeah, it’s a good track and it just took me away from a few minutes and now my gf won’t talk to me again because I wasn’t listening to her (Mind you, that may be a goof thing…depending on your circumstances aye? amiright? amiright?).
But, you listen a second time (and actually pay proper attention to it, mind you, probably after you’ve been dumped or some shit), and you realise that the track is broken up into about 4 different sections:
1. the long slow building intro with those great ‘kooky’ vocals
2. the guitar groove that starts at 1:15
3. the great nice piano dwindly sounding bit and the synth that comes in and the synth arpeggios that follow (2:15)
4. the outro that eventually leads back to nothing.
And then after all this, you find that it didn’t seem like there were four separate sections…and you don’t really care about your probably now ex-gf. And that’s what is so good about Mr Pas. It washes over you and just let’s you take your mind away from your current thinking.
The track is getting a fair bit of play on triple j and the man himself (Tim Shiel is Faux Pas’ real name) has just been named as a 3RRR breakfaster (a pretty alright community radio station down here in Melbourne town).
You can check out his blog (he does write a very cool blog. funny and stuff…you know, kinda like this one but with actual humour injected into the writing…not just tryhard kinda stuff.). You can also check him out on Twitter, and starting next year, on 3RRR breakfast radio.
Anyway, you’re probably gagging at the bit now waiting to hear this track. It is good…beware. But you know…no expectations right?!
(Purchase the single with a few remixes via his bandcamp page. Check out some older EP’s of his on iTunes)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
occasionally horrorising gloves
wow. are my headings getting worse? really thought i could think of something witty. oh man. who am i kidding.
So anyway, this is a remix of Sometimes (or occasionally) by Miami Horror (you guessed it…horrorising) done by G.L.O.V.E.S. (or gloves for short). That was a pretty long winded way of saying the track in this post is a new fresh remix by ex Damn Arms man Yama, aka G.L.O.V.E.S.. And it is bloody bloody good. That good, it could even get into my top remixes of the year list (expect some sort of a best of post in the next few weeks…).
It replaces the vocals with lady vocals…and it still sounds as good as the original. (And the original is a bloody bloody bloody great tune). Some would even go as far as to say that it even sounds a little Falkeish. And that’s definitely not a bad thing.
The only way to get a hold of this track is to jump onto the Miami Horror mailing list. Sounds daggy I know, but really, signing up to mailing lists can actually be pretty good. You wouldn’t be able to get awesome remixes and exclusives like this one if you didn’t aye??!!
So yeah, jump along to here and put in your email address and they’ll send you out the remix. S to the I to the M to the P to the L to the E.
Miami Horror – Sometimes (G.L.O.V.E.S. Remix)
You can check out all stuff on both the acts on Beatport (Miami Horror, G.L.O.V.E.S.)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
getting technologically happy
ok. So this isn’t exactly a post about new music. It does however have a track that I am loving at the moment. Jonathan Boulet is a young dude from Sydney who has just signed to MAAMF’s favourite, Modular Records. The track, Community Service Announcement has an awesome video, even being raved on about by…Ima let you finish, but I’m a little bit of a wanker man. What’s best about the original, and this remix done by the awesome Album Leaf, is that it makes me happy. It makes me glad to write a music blog and makes me think how using technology can make people happy, or in some cases can help make people happy again.
Some of you guys who actually know me will know that for a while I did quite a bit of work for an organisation called The Inspire Foundation. These guys started off as a suicide prevention based thing about 15 years ago, but now it’s extended it’s reach to simply helping young people get happy. Not in some happy clappy religious way. They’re actually committed to benefiting the lives of young people, and the majority of the dudes and dudettes that work there are young people too. They’re also an internet based organisation, and their main aim is to use technology to better the lives of young people. Pretty simple premise right?!
Getting serious for a tiny bit though. One of the biggest problems ,in Australia at least, is the suicide rate. Especially of young guys (Australia has one of the highest suicide rates for young guys in the world). One of the things that, in my opinion, has been missing from the discussion of young people and mental health is why you get more women reporting that they’re feeling shitty but more guys taking their own lives. It’s only until recently with the worldwide push of things like Movember, that people have thought more about men and their health.
Inspire are in the process of adding to this discussion. In partnership with the Brain & Mind Research Institute at Sydney Uni, The Matespeak survey was launched a little while ago. It only takes you about 15 mins to do and asks question about you using technology and how it helps you out in the not so great times. It’s only open to peeps in Australia though, so sorry international people! If you are outside Australia though but know an Aussie young person (generally aged between 16 and 24), feel free to send them the link. Likewise, if you’re in Australia and know other young peeps, feel free to send them the link. Also, it’s not gender specific. If you’re female, do it too. But remember to tell your boyfriend, brother, cousin, other fella friends.
You can access the survey at www.matespeak.com.au. Please do it guys. This is something really important.
And that track! Check it out and tell me you don’t feel a little bit happier after listening to it. See! Told you technology could help make you happy :p
Jonathan Boulet – A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
new music first #11
wow. It’s been a while I know. I’m in exam mode at the moment so the whole blog thing has been put on the backburner. But, I figure I should at least get one post out there for you guys! And what better than an all encompassing New Music First post. Some pretty good stuff here – eclectic. All with an electronic tinge though which is always good!
First up is a local band called Goodnight Owl. These guys are from Melbourne and they produce some pretty nice guitar pop music. But then it has something else. It’s like a great sounding acoustic track but with this awesome glitchy electro stuff beneath it. It’s a really nice blend. Great lyrics too. If you’re in Melbourne also, you should check them out – they’re playing a few shows in early December. Check out the info here.
Goodnight Owl – Maps and Compasses
(iTunes)
Next up is a band that’s kinda exploded in blog land. They’re called Sleigh Bells and they’re…well…i don’t know. Apart from good, they’re definitely good. Already, you can see they’ve got two sides. A loud full on blown out distorted fucking great in your face style sound. They’ve also got a great nice, sweet pop sound. I like the loud abrasive sound the best. Crown on The Ground is definitely that. Oh…and just in time for Christmas! haha…sorry…had to get that in.
Sleigh Bells – Crown On The Ground
Third up on the list is Fuck Buttons. I got turned on to these guys through The Sound Lab on Triple J radio here in Australia. They produce some pretty awesome glitchy techno i suppose. I don’t know really, i’m no good with genre’s. I will say that it pumps, they all grow into something really big, they’re full of massive layers of sound, and the majority of their songs are pretty long. Including the track bellow, Space Mountain.
(iTunes)
Fourth on my little list of tricks is a band out of Brooklyn. Sensual Harassment are they’re name and they’ve been around for a short while. They cited (the M A A M F loved) Miami Horror as a band they like in the email they sent me so I thought I should give them a shot. They’re track, Daddy Long Legs is great. Is funky, slow groove, comes to an almighty climax mid way and keeps it going throughout.
Sensual Harassment – Daddy Long Legs
(iTunes)
Last on ze listo is The Swiss. You guys may have heard of these dudes before. They’re from South Australia but we won’t hold that against them because they produce some pretty awesome DISCO! Movement 1 has been around for a little while already and it’s part of a big Movement EP with three movements. Other than that, they’ve also remixed Ladyhawke’s Magic which I’m sure some of you have heard. Hell, they’re even supporting Ms Hawke on her current national tour. Must be love. Anyway, you should all check these dudes out. They’re the Next Crop feature artist today for Aus Music Month on Triple J too. Check out a new track called Bubble Bath on the Next Crop/Home & Hosed blog too. Bloody killer.
Anyway, that’s it. Mammoth post, so hopefully that will do you for a while and I can get back to my study. Last exam is on the 23rd, so expect a lot more amazing sounds after that.
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
in between
If you follow us on Facebook, you may have heard me rave about this new one a few weeks ago. Well, the good folk at triple j have offered it up as a free download! Awesome. Matt Van Shie has gone solo. Well, hopefully it’s just a side project for a bit…this is all in between supposedly working on the new Van She album. I blogged about the new Van She track yesterday.
Also, if you want a pretty good idea of what his other stuff is going to sound like, check out his MySpace for some extra tracks. He’s producing some good stuff I think. Bit different to Van She, but still good. The track Journey on his MySpace features some work from Mikey from the band so he doesn’t seem to be steering too far away.
Matt Van Schie – Saturday Night
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
new music first #10
ok. so some new music…there’s been so much going on lately with festival announcements, awesome remixes, album releases, killer new leaked tracks. There’s also been a lot of personal external factors (by that I mean, outside of the music industry). Uni is nearly finished, got one exam and a 4,500 paper due in the next few weeks as well as the research i’m doing as part of my internship with the Inspire Foundation. It’s all just nuts. Keeping on top of it all is a little difficult, but yeah, in a few weeks, i’ll be free!! Anyway, the reason I rant about stress is because i’m going to keep the blog posts to a minimum for the next few weeks. I’ll still post, trust me…and i’ll probably post more than I should. But yeah, she’ll be right.
Anywho, new music aye?!
K. First up is Tegan and Sara. Year, these guys have been around for a while and I never really took much notice of them. They’ve been playing their new track Hell on Triple J pretty continuously. I like it. Reminds me of Magic Dirt, especially the vocals – reminds me of Adalita (Magic Dirt singer) a hell of a lot. haha…get it? ‘hell’ of a lot??!! funny aren’t i? …yeah…ahh…oh shit.
Tegan and Sara – Hell (iTunes)
Next up is a band out of Belgium called Showstar. They’re pretty good, and they write a killer pop song. They’re third album Think Ringo is set to be released in January…and yeah, don’t know much about these guys. They’ve only got one track up on their myspace…but if Gold Mine is anything to go off, then they’re a band to check out.
Showstar – Gold Mine (radio edit) (iTunes)
Third on the list is a dude with a ridiculously long name. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart is from New York and is bloody good. Dreamish pop that kinda washes over you. Sure, the intro sounds like Smashing Pumpkins, but it’s still great. Could be a fave of the year maybe.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Higher Than The Stars (iTunes)
Megan Washington is from Brisbane and goes by the name Washington. Original right? Well…yeah, kinda I suppose. Her music is definitely original though. Bad segue? Yup! Saw her on Spicks & Specks the other week and man, she blew me away. Freakin killer voice. Reminds me of Sarah Blasko a bit…not really a fan of Ms Blasko, but Washington…hell yeah!
Washington – How to Tame Lions (iTunes)
No relation to Washington, King Washington are a crew out of LA producing some awesome singer-songwriter rock’n’roll. They’re a pretty musical bunch of fellas, and they’re bringing harmony back…yeah…
Last up, Philadelphia Grand Jury are not from Philadelphia…funnily enough. They’re actually from Sydney. You hear the track. I’ll tell you that it’s just two fellas. Well, they’ve obviously got a drummer and others for their live show, but the mainstay is just these two blokes. They’re a massive Triple J band too…so that’s something going right for ’em.
Philadelphia Grand Jury – The Good News (iTunes)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
new music first #9
ok. So, yeah, well, umm, it’s been over a month since the last one of these. I said exactly the same thing last time though, so yeah, no excuse. Been doing too many features eh!
Anyway, there’s been some great great music thrown around the blogosphere lately. Thought i’d compile a few of my faves.
First up, it’s British India. These guys are a local band who’ve been around for a while. Great sound. Saw them live at a promo gig thing a while ago and they put on a freakin solid live show. If straight up rock is your thing, then check out these boys. This is a newy of theirs. Bit of a softer sound…but still great great Aus Rock!
The next find are a new band from Triple J Unearthed. They’re called Disco Nap. They’re from Brisbane, and there’s obvious links in their sound to Death Cab. Win win situation if you ask me! And believe it or not, Ross, the lead singer got his inspiration from the TV series Six Feet Under. Morbid right?! Yeah, well it sounds it, but their music doesn’t. Sounds great. Band to watch out for.
Got sent some this new one last week. When I started this music blog, I never thought i’d actually be sent music. It’s hard to keep up sometimes, especially with Uni and other work I gotta do (should really be doing that now actually!). The guys are from Sweeden, they’re called The Sweet Serenades. They’ve got an awesome awesome awesome sound. Reminds me of early KOL. That’s not a bad thing at all!!! Oh, and also, complete with cowbell! WIN!
The Sweet Serenades – On My Way
Finally, it’s the new one from Juggers. Dystopia is a great great album. That’s their debut, for those unaware. It was awesome, dark, doom, disco, dance rock. Impossible to pigeon hole. Their new track is a bit different. When I first heard it, I really didn’t think it was that great. But I downloaded it, and, now, I kinda like it. Sure, it’s a little different to Shadows, and 45 and Rising. Some have called it a little postrock. Not usually a fan of that genre. But, now, I just might be. People are either for or against this one. Let me know what you kats reckon!
Midnight Juggernauts – This New Technology
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
remix that #5
ok. So something dropped in the inbox this morning. It was a new mix of a track called Fortune by two dudes from the UK called NAPT. Oh, and it’s a bit of breaks. I used to love breaks. Being an ‘ex-drummer’, I use to think breaks and drum’n’bass were the two coolest genres within electronic music. Anyway, this new mix was produced exclusively for Fabric London in light of NAPT’s pretty massive gig their on this Friday night. Wish I could go…but you know, with being on the other side of the world, that kinda stuff is difficult.
ok. here it is.
NAPT – Fortune (12Inch Dub Mix)
This wouldn’t be a remix that post without a few other tracks that have been a little non stop on ze ipod. Next up is a track by some dude called Esser. Being in Australia, I never really heard much about this guy, but I think in the UK you either really like him, or you really don’t like him. Anyway, a remix dropped in the inbox a few days ago by Treasure Fingers. Is good. Has been in my head since. Thanks toRCRD LBL for this one.
Esser – Headlock (Treasure Fingers’ Vocoder Workout)
(iTunes)
Final on the list of tricks is those dudes the Lost Valentinos. They’ve got a track called Thief which is pretty darn sweet. There is a remix by a dude called Shinichi Osawa. This is a pretty incredible remix in my books. It goes freaking hard. Thumps all the way home. Like, you’ve heard good amazing electro. But then there’s Shinichi Osawa’s remix of it. haha…a little obsessed. You can thanks the Radio Funktrust boys for getting me onto this.
Thief – Lost Valentinos (Shinichi Osawa Remix)
(Check the boys out on Beatport, iTunes)
That’s it for this one. They’re all stella stella tracks. Definitely worth the check.
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
new music first #6
ok. I realised I’ve been a bit slack with the new music posts. So, here is one right now. Simple.
I’m really excited about this post because I don’t know if I’ve loved every track as much before.
First up is a local band, The Middle East. Yes, you read right. Local Band. They’ve got a track called Blood. It’s one of those tracks that just sorta builds and build and makes you feel so happy towards the end.
The Middle East – Blood
Next up is another local band. I spoke about these guys a few weeks ago. They’ve got an album called Ragged & Ecstatic coming out in a few days. It is of course Yves Klein Blue.
Yves Klein Blue – Make Up Your Mind
(more deets on their website)
Third on the list is a band I spoke about a while ago as well. It’s YACHT. They’ve got an album coming out soon (It’s being released through DFA in the States next month. Nor sure about a release date for Australia though.
YACHT – The Afterlife
(can’t find a link online for the album, but you should check out the DFA webstore for more detailios)
Finally, it’s Dananananaykroyd. These guys are a band I’d always heard of but never actually heard any of their tracks. And man. What a fool I was! These guys are great. If you like that indie pop with the kinda yelling vocals then Dananananaykroyd are definately worth a check out.
Dananananaykroyd – Black Wax
(via CDWOW)
k. So that’s about it. They’re all really great tracks and it’s posts like these that make me love writing a music blog!
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
New Music First #5
busy busy but free free
ok. so I’ve been a little non comital lately. I got exams on next week and i’m trying to study study study for them. There’s only two, and I’m not absolutely freaking out. But, give me time and I will I’m sure! Haha…anyway, just to keep the momentum up I thought i’d put up a post with a few tracks that i’m listening to of late. They’re all awesome of course. Hehe. Anyway, better get to it. Field independence and field dependence is calling me. oh dear.
First up is a track by a band called Hey Champ. They’re out of the states and if it wasn’t for MSotD, I don’t think I would’ve found out about them. They pretty cool indie dance stuff. But actual songs, not just a cool beat and some funky synth. Check it out here:
Hey Champ! – Cold Dust Girl
Secondo on the listeo is another band from the states. YACHT. They’re pretty good. I actually thought these guys were Australian – got that kinda sound, and I always seem to see their name on posters around the city. Anyway, great track.
YACHT – Psychic City
Third on the list is the new Jay-Z track. I don’t usually get into this sort of stuff but after NME posted it up, I thought i’d give it a listen. Is a great track too! Great sample.
Jay-Z – D.O.A (Death Of Autotune)
Next up is a tune that’s been doing the rounds for a while. It’s by a Brisbane based band called Yves Klein Blue. They are awesome. If you like what you hear, you should definately check them out!
Yves Klein Blue – Polka
So that’s it. I better get back to the study. Fun fun fun.
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
New Music First #4
ok. My name’s Miks, and I’m a commitment-phobe. Well…not really. But, it has been a while since I’ve posted up some new music. The Mix Tape is sort of the same thing I know, but meh. This entry lists a few tracks that were part of the Mid May MIXTAPE entry too. Again, meh!
Hahahaha…ok, so here’s the list. It’s pretty good. Sounds a bit like a remix that entry. But yeah, you know what word I’m going to say to that.
- In For The Kill (Lifelike Remix) – La Roux (Good song! Never really thought I’d get into these guys. But, I am. I think their appearance on the new Kitsune Compilation may help along with the La Roux love! Also, Lifelike has been getting around. Not in a sexual sense. Obviously. Actually, I’m not sure…ok…umm this is getting weird. haha)
- Too Fake – Hockey (Posted this last week I know. But it’s still definately a favourite track at the moment. Great band. Looking forward to hearing some more stuff from these guys.)
- Kids – Chiddy Bang vs. MGMT (Found this on Hype Machine. This guy rips this song in half and makes it Hip Hop. And, although it sounds pretty mainstream, is a fun track.)
- Symphonies (Passion Pit Remix) – Dan Black (Obviously, anything Passion Pit is popular at the moment. They’re probably about the biggest band of the moment hands down (Grizzly Bear are probably a close second). Don’t know much about Dan Black…other than this is a good track)
- It’s Not My Problem (Thin White Duke Remix) – Sneaky Sound System (I use to love these guys a few years ago. Then they got a little commercial (Not that that’s a bad thing) and I just didn’t like their stuff as much. I downloaded this track off a whim…and am pretty impressed. Connie Mitchell can still sing damn well. Cooooool voice!)
- Out Of Control (Acoustic) – Dash & Will (Once again, I downloaded this track because it was free. And, i’ve liked some of Dash & Will’s stuff. Kinda like a grown up Veronicas (Can’t believe I just wrote that. Argh). But they’re better than the Veronicas. Much better)
- One Week Of Danger – The Virgins (Why the hell aren’t these guys massive? From what I gather, they must be pretty big in the UK and the US going by song polls and best of 2008 album write ups. Hopefully they’ll start getting more radio play here. Great sound.)
- Bulletproof – La Roux (Hmm…I must like these guys. Maybe I should get their album. Bulletproof is their latest single, and is, I think, their best one so far.)
- Lisztsomania (Yuksek Remix) – Phoenix (Another massive band of the moment. And with fellow Frenchman Yuksek behind this remix, the song rips ‘grand temps’. I was never that good at French at high school.)
- Something Good Can Work – Two Door Cinema Club (Good, fun sounding track. Appears on the new Kitsune compilation which comes out next month I think)
- Laughing With – Regina Spektor (Cool. Got that ‘quirk’ factor that sets her apart from other piano based singer songwriters. I fell in love with her track Sampson a few years back and haven’t looked back!)
Anyway, that’s it. Check them out. Buy their stuff. Is an eclectic list this week (I’m trying to make this thing a weekly thing you see…will it happen?? Wait and see I suppose.)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
best of so far…
Ok. So, this is going to be moved into a page next to the best albums page. There’s been too many good albums so far this year and I thought I should start to collate a list. I think it’ll be a pretty long list by years end though…haha. So, anyway, i’ll put them up here, and then create a page with them with a few mini review kind of things.
Ok. Here goes.
Passion Pit – Manners.
Peaches – I Feel Cream
The Little Stevies – Love Your Band
The Whitest Boy Alive – Rules
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Death Cab For Cutie – The Open Door EP
Ok, so after looking through all the albums i’ve bought/downloaded this year, I’ve realised that not all of them were actually released this year.
So, I think a second list is in order. Albums i’ve bought/downloaded this year that weren’t released this year that i’ve loved. Long title. I know. You’ll get over it.
Cut Copy – Far Away EP
Cut Off Your Hands – You And I
Josh Pyke – Chimney’s Afire
Sia – Some People Have Real Problems
Ratatat – LP3
The Bang Gang DeeJays – D Is For Disco, E Is For Dancing
K. So, it’s pretty diverse I reckon. Good stuff so far this year.
I’m sure the list’ll be addedd to soon 🙂
To finish off with, some of my favourite tracks of the year so far. Just for you guys. I’m sweet aren’t I? Yeah, I know.
The Golden Filter – Solid Gold
Passion Pit – Little Secrets
Bombay Bicycle Club – Always Like This
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
4 New Albums
so. I went on an album buying spree the other day and bought a fair few albums. I love all of them I must add. They’re all really really good. ok. And because i’m a really good writer of words and phrases, I’ve forgotten to actually mention what they are. Uni work is getting the better of me. This is one of my only outlets!
Anyway, the stuff I bought were as follows:
Death Cab For Cutie – The Open Door EP.
Really nice stuff. I been a fan of these guys ever since I was overexposed to The O.C. And, like, OMG!!! …oh crap…it’s that Gossip Girl talk coming back. sorry about that. Anyway, Unlike Gossip Girl or The O.C., this EP is great and has little mention of whether some girl is going to sleep with some bloke. Well actually, it probably does, but it does it in a nice way (just heard the line “what get’s paid for behind hotel doors…” This is going well so far eh?!). Little Bribes is the lead track and Single. Is a great rollicking track and is a bit different to their last LP Narrow Stairs. My favourite Death Cab album is Plans…and the iTunes release of this had a few extra bonus tracks. A Diamond And A Tether remind me of this a lot. And something tells me I’ve heard I Was Once A Loyal Lover before. In a good way.
ok. Next up.
Josh Pyke – Chimney’s Afire.
The title track starts off like an orchestra tuning up but launches into a really simple sounding ‘mini’ song about Whale Hunting. It’s also a really great intro to an album. There are lots of other standouts on the album. The Summer has some of the nicest lyrics I’ve heard in a while – “If I could bottle up the sea breeze I would take it over to your house and pour it loose through your garden”. And of course, my favourite, The Lighthouse Song is great.
Third on the list is:
Sia – Some People Have Real Problems.
Oh. Great voice. Blows any great singer out of the water. It’s not great because it’s ‘unique sounding’. It’s great because it has so much behind it and, wanker moment coming up, has so much soul. It’s so deep etc etc wanky adjective, etc. I would go as far as to say that every song on here is great. Anyway, songs like Little Black Sandles and The Girl You Lost To Cocaine are simply, wanker comment, beautiful. Other’s are actually funny. Academia is a song you must listen to. Lyrics are killer. The disc also came with a bonus remix CD. You may have heard the CSS remix of Buttons floating about.
Last but not least:
Kitsune Maison Compilation 6.
This one is a little old. But there’s still some great tracks on here. Kitsune Maison are a French label, with a bit of a focus on electro, indie/dance kinda stuff. A fellow blogger, Real Horror Show Tunes spoke about their new Compilation which is coming out in May a few weeks ago, so I thought i’d check them out. You can check out the Real Horror Show Tunes post here. Anyway, the opener, Want U, by LO-FI-FNK is killer. Thumping indie/dance. There are some other great tracks on here too, but dare I say, like many other compilations, it’s very focussed on the current scene. And given that the disc was released last year, it is already a little dated. I digress though. Some of the other killer tracks are, I Wish I Was A Polar Bear (Arctic Urgency Edit) by Ted & Francis, and Hear It In The Cans (DIY Version) by We Have Band.
Anyway, here is some free stuff. Let me know if the links don’t work. K? yeah, cool.
I Wish I Was A Polar Bear (Arctic Urgency Edit) by Ted & Francis
Little Bribes by Death Cab For Cutie
Day Too Soon (Mock & Toof Remix) by Sia
The Lighthouse Song by Josh Pyke
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
New Music First #3
ok. So I have been listening to a few pretty cool tracks lately. A lot of them are thanks to Launchpad Uplate on Nova here in Melbourne (I think this show is national too though. Something like 10-1130 Monday to Thursday nights). Others are thanks to HypeMachine. Gotta love it. Anyway, here’s my list.
- Coin Laundry – Lisa Mitchell (This is fresh – downloaded this morning. I’m not sure about it yet. I like it, but I think it’s gonna have to get a few more listens till I make up my mind)
- Your Call – Hermitude Feat. Urthboy and Alana Stone (I know I put this up last time, but it is still on high rotation. The beginning of the track is damn sweet and the little “I get confused making my mind up. Are you the fuse that could light me up” line in the middle is too darn catchy.)
- The Lighthouse Song – Josh Pyke (Finally decided I needed this album and I’ll finish downloading it when I get home tonight. This track is pretty good too!!)
- Pool Party 2009 – Shazam (New up and comer DJ/Remixer guy from Perth. Pretty disposable but still, is a sweet tune.)
- You’ve Got A Lot Of Nerve – Red Riders (Heard this on Launchpad last night. Great track.)
- I’m Not Alone – Calvin Harris (Sounds different to his other stuff which I like. Somebody said it had more of an underground/indie disco sound. I think parts of it do, but the rest is just his trademark commercial dance/trance kinda stuff._
- Always Like This – Bombay Bicycle Club (Heard this on Hype Machine Radio this morning (you can check out Hype Machine Radio here – they do a weekly podcast and basically just put together the most popular tracks of the week.)
- Shooting Stars – Bag Raiders (my mention of bag raiders in the Bonnie Prince post, was because it was about the only other thing I was listening to at the time. And, they haven’t left the iPod)
- Lion (Bag Raiders Remix) – ZZZ (ZZZ did a remix of Bag Raiders’ track Fun Punch a while ago and made it into a crazy psychotic piano driven track. Listen to it. It will make you nuts! This track is really good though – Bag Raiders returning the favour.)
Short list this time around. Still, there is some good stuff there. Any suggestion about tracks I should check out? Post a comment and let me know!
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
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